Hyundai Kona NZ recall: 466 cars need rear buckle replacement

Hyundai New Zealand’s October safety-campaign list includes 466 Kona SX2 vehicles from model years 2025–2026. Campaign 61D282 concerns the rear-centre seat-belt buckle assembly, which Hyundai dealers will replace.

The manufacturer says an internal base plate may have been made outside specification. In a crash, that could prevent the buckle from properly restraining an occupant in the centre rear seat and increase the risk of injury. Owners should check the vehicle with Hyundai even if the buckle appears to work normally.

Quote 61D282 when checking the car

The campaign number distinguishes this recall from other Hyundai work and from the separate Tucson instrument-cluster campaign announced in September. The model code, model years, and affected-unit count are screening information; they do not establish whether every Kona in that age range is included.

Locate the VIN and contact Hyundai New Zealand or an authorised dealer. Ask whether campaign 61D282 applies, whether it remains outstanding, and what arrangements are required for replacement. Keep the answer with the car’s records so another driver does not have to infer the position from a general model description.

For a car being bought second-hand, make the same check before handover. A seller may know that a recall letter arrived without knowing whether the repair was completed. A service invoice or dealer campaign record matched to the VIN is more useful than an assurance that the car has had its normal servicing.

The affected part is the rear-centre buckle

This is a restraint-system defect, not an infotainment problem or a cosmetic issue. Hyundai’s notice identifies the buckle assembly in the centre rear seating position and the internal base plate. It does not ask owners to dismantle or adjust the assembly themselves.

Families should tell the dealer how the rear seats are used, including any child restraints, and ask for the manufacturer’s advice while waiting for the appointment. The public notice checked for this report does not provide a VIN list, a repair-time estimate, or a general temporary-use rule. Those omissions should not be replaced with an online guess about which seating arrangements are acceptable.

An apparently normal click or an absence of a dashboard warning does not prove that the base plate meets specification. The concern described by Hyundai is how the component performs in an accident. The campaign remedy therefore matters independently of whether an owner has noticed an everyday fault.

Close the loop after the workshop visit

When making the booking, ask the dealer to confirm the exact remedy, parts availability, expected time without the vehicle, and any vehicle-specific instructions. If the car is used for school trips or shared between households, make sure the other drivers receive the same advice from the dealer.

After replacement, retain the completion record and confirm that campaign 61D282 is recorded against the correct vehicle. That is useful at the next sale, at a change of primary driver, or when a later recall check raises a question about old correspondence.

A recall list is a starting point for action, rather than an individual clearance certificate. Use the current Hyundai campaign page and the VIN-specific dealer response together. The objective is to have the affected buckle assembly replaced and documented, with interim use settled by Hyundai for the actual car.

Sources

• Hyundai New Zealand safety campaigns — October 2026 Kona campaign 61D282.